Traveling lawn-sprinkler



H. T. GREPEAU.

TRAVELING LAWN SPRINKLER.

2 Sheets-- Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

No. 485,533. Patented Nov. 1, 1892.

Tu: nonms PETERS ca. Pumu'mc" wuulucmmn. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H.T.OREPEA U. TRAVELING LAWN SPRINKLER.

Patented'Nov. 1, 1892.

co. PKOYQLIYNQ. WASHINGTON,

NITED STATES ATENT Fries.

HENRY T. OREPEAU, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

TRAVELING LAWN-SPRIN KLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,533, dated November 1, 1892.

Application filed Augnstl5, 1892. Serial No. 443,154. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY T. GREPEAU, of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveling Lawn- Sprinklers, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to lawn-sprinklers, and has particular reference to that class of such devices wherein the pressure of the water is utilized to furnish the motive power for causing the sprinkler to travel slowly over the ground.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine of this character wherein the direction of travel of the carriage may be reversed, or wherein the machine may be left stationary while the sprinkling-arms continue to rotate; and to this end, my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts as hereinfter described and claimed.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine complete. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the connection of the worm-gear with its pinion. Fig. isa plan view of the machine from the point indicated by the line 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view showing a modifica tion hereinafter described.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in each of the several figures.

A platform a is provided at one end with bearings for an axle a, to which the drivingwheels of the machine are attached, and at its other end is provided with a steering wheel a of any suitable construction. Secured to this platform is a stand-pipe b, having at its lower end a coupling 12, by means of which a flexible hose may be connected to it. To the upper end of this stand-pipe there is fitted to rotate in any suitable way a cap b having radial sprinkling-arms b of the usual form in rotary lawn-sprinklers. To this cap below the arms is secured a pinion b, (which, however, may be integral with said cap,) and this pinion meshes with a similar pinion 0 secured to the upper end of a shaft 0, which extends parallel with the stand pipe through a bearing in the platform and has at its lower end a bevel=pinion o. In

bearings d, secured to the under side of the platform, is secured ashaft 01', having a worm d and a' bevel-pinion 0 the lattermeshing with the pinion c. The worm d meshes with a worm-gear on a shaft 01 mounted in suitable bearin gs underneath the platform at a right angle to the shaft (1, said shaft (1 having at its end a bevel-pinion d". Splined on the axle a is a sleeve e, provided with two bevel-gears 6 8 the space between said gears being greater than the diameter of the pinion d and so located as to mesh with said pinion when the sleeve is moved in either direction. This sleeve is provided with three annular grooves 63, and to asuitable support, as e is pivoted a lever e having a yoke e, adapted to fit in either of said grooves 6 This lever, as indicated in the drawings, is prevented from moving laterally, but is free to be lifted from the sleeve e or lowered into either one of the grooves 6 whereby said sleeve may be moved laterally, so as to hold the gears e e equidistant from the pinion d or to throw either one of said gears into mesh with said pinion. From this it will be readily understood that the rotation of the arms 5 caused by the outward passage of the water therefrom in the well-known manner, causes the shaft 0 to rotate through the pinions 0 b and through the worm-gear and pinions described will cause the machine to travel in a forward or backward direction, according to which of the bevel-gears e e is in mesh with the pinion 01 while if it is desired that the machine shall remain stationary while the sprinkling-arms are rotating the sleeve may be moved to its intermediate point and the lever 6 caused to hold it at that point, so that both gears c e will be removed from the pinion 01 In Fig. 5 I show a modification wherein the reverse motion of the carriage may be obtained by turning the arms I) over, so as to eject the water in a different direction. To accomplish this, I fit the arms I) to the cap 12 so that they are free to rotate therein, and on each arm near the cap I secure a bevelpinion f, the four pinions meshing with each other, so that when one arm is turned on its axis it will turn the other arms to an equal extent. To enable the arms to be so turned and to hold them in either one of the opposite directions, I secure to one of said arms an operating-handle having its end bent so as to engage either one of the arms that is at a right angle to the one to which it is secured. By this modified construction it is obvious that the cap I) and the shaft 0 may be caused to rotate in either direction, and so reverse the movement of the carriage, whereby the connection of the shaft 0 with the drivingaxle may be direct instead of through the medium of shifting-gears.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and explained a means for carrying it into eifect, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its employment, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A lawn-sprinkler comprising in its c011- struction a frame or platform mounted on wheels, a stand-pipe carried by said frame or platform, rotary sprinkling-arms at the upper end of the stand-pipe, agear or pinion above the stand-pipe, secured to the said sprinkling-arms, gearing outside of the stand-pipe, connecting the said pinion with the traveling wheelsof the machine, and means for reversing the motion of the machine, substantially as described.

2. A lawn-sprinkler comprising in its construction a frame or platform mounted on Wheels, a stand-pipe carried by said frame or platform, rotary sprinkling-arms at the upper end of the stand-pipe, a gear or pinion above the stand-pipe, secured to the said sprinklingarms, a shaft outside of and parallel with the stand-pipe and having a gear at its upper end meshing with the sprinkling-arm gear, said shaft being connected at its lower end with the wheels of the machine to drive the same, substantially as described.

3. In a traveling lawn-sprinkler, the combination, with a stand-pipe and sprinklingarms, of a shaft outside of the stand-pipe and geared to said arms, gearing connecting the i said shaft with the drivingqvheels of the machine, and means for disconnecting the said gearing or reversing its connections, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 12th day of August, A. D. 1892.

HENRY T. CREPEAU.

\Vitnesses:

J. F. MAIN, A. W. HARRISON. 

